Heat and Mass Transfer in Capillary-Pumped Liquid Films in Square Cross-Section Minichannels

Abstract

This study addresses heat and mass transfer during the vaporization of a liquid in a heated square cross-section mini-channel. A theoretical model is developed in steady state using the radius of curvature as a variable. One-dimensional simulations have been performed. An analysis of this model reveals that heat and mass transfer is governed by two main groups of non-dimensional numbers (i.e., Reynolds × Boiling and Weber × Boiling² numbers). Maps of heat transfer performance are thus proposed according to these non-dimensional numbers. A reduced model is finally derived, allowing the main parameters to be expressed (such as the extended meniscus length) analytically.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Financial support from GIP ANR (projects ANR-06-BLAN-0119-01 and ANR-05-BLAN 3D-PHI) is gratefully acknowledged.